Around Town
llit
KYLIE, CHRISTMAS, CREATIVITY
* Creative Careers Weekend Always fancied a career in The Arts. darling. but unsure where you start? Come along and meet professional artists, sculptors. curators. web designers and many others, and hear the advice they have to offer. Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, Sat 17 8. Sun 18 Nov. * Kylie Karaoke (pictured) Kelvingrove has organised a Kylie karaoke afternoon especially for you. Aren't you lucky, lucky. lucky? Anyone who tries to sing ‘Suddenly' by Angry Andersen will earn Around Town's undying respect. Kelvingrove Museum. Glasgow. Sun 78 Nov.
* Glasgow’s Christmas Lights Switch-On Sing Christmas songs, watch spectacular fireworks, join in the countdown to the grand switch-on. Then panic because you haven't started your Christmas shopping yet. Consume! Consume! George Square, Glasgow, Sun 18 Nov. * I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas Alternatively, why not get ethical and create your own wrapping paper, cards. gifts and personalised books at this afternoon workshop for all ages. Basking in karmic smugness optional. National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Nov.
Wht sin
j" -1473“
\~
Eight-legged freak out
Cate Simpson faces her acute arachnophobia head on at the Butterfly & Insect World’s spider-handling workshop
xpider l‘ear ix an embarraxxing thing to admit to. The} don't bite. the} don‘t xlittg. the}‘re almoxt blind. and WI | lind the xight oi one running louat‘dx me dixtinetl} unxettling. I‘d like to
he one oi llloxe people “ho xeoopx them tip in her
bare handx. muttering. 'it‘x onl} a xpider‘ to the hill} groun adultx xerambling for em er. In xhort. I'd like to feel 'ill\l a little ltil eooler. So. l‘\ e eome lo lidltlllltt‘gll llttllet'll} and lnxeel \Vot'ldix xpider phobia \kot'kxltop. in the hope I might learn to lo\ e or at leaxt aeeept the monxterx that lurk in in} bath.
()ur xmall. qttmering group ix greeted b_\ the rexident xpider e\pert. Ke\ in 'l'hom. \\ho te||x nx that he'x going to eaxe ax into arehanidx gentl}: b} lirxt introdueing tix to Rllxl} the tarantula. 'l'arantulax xeem lexx like training \xheelx to me. and more like \omelhing _\ou build up to~ xlo\\l_\. alter xe\era| \\eekx and a ten drinkx. l \oiee m} eoneern.
.'\etuall_\. Ke\in explainx. tarantulax are an ideal xtarting point for araehnopht)bex. lior a xtart. the} don't \L‘tllllel neither do the} dixeoneerting pt‘openxil} l‘or x“ arming e\hibited in lilmx like .‘ll‘tli'lllIU/lllrllllrl, ln laet. the) don't mme mueh at all. ’l‘hefre alxo xtill and tum. Klaxt like a tedd} bear.‘ he xa_\x. 'but more legg}.' '
Rtixt} ix a txxo ineh-Iong ('hilean Beautilul. Kexin eallx her ‘llab_\ '. lle tellx tix that tarantulax are fragile ereaturex ta tall ol‘juxt one metre ean be fatal. unlike the xlurd} hoaxe xpider \x'hieh ean be thing from \\llltlo\\\ \xith reeklexx abandon). This xoundx like a t\\ixt on the familiar the}'re-more-xeared-oll)ou
poxxexx the
retrain. but that doexn‘t xtop it from working.
Rtixt_\'x l‘eet are pleaxingl} xol't againxt in} palm. and although at one point in} brain kiekx in and xereamx. "l’here‘x an enormotIx xpider on m} handl'. xlte reall} ~ittxl leelx like all extremel} lethat‘gie hamxter. ll} the time I return her to the tank. I am already lexx apprehenxh e about the next ehallenge.
lx'e\in introdueex ax to the home xpider in inerementx. llt‘xl getting tlx to peer at it inxide ll ettp. lnxtead ol the expeeted horror. l lind m}xe|l thinking. ‘lluh. it'x juxt a lexx interexting tarantulaf Still. I am relie\ed to hear that it \xon't be erzmling aeroxx otll' llztlld\. lnxtead. Ke\in ttxkx ll\ to poke it “till a xliek. 'l‘llix ix dexigned lo dexenxitixe ll\ to the dreaded xeuttling. and alter a text minutex ol prodding the thing I xtart to l'eel xlightl) eruel. apparentl} an indieator that I am read} to progrexx to the next lexel. llall' an hour later. \\ e ha\ e all xueeexxl'ull} uxhered the xpider under a cup and praetieed releaxing it into the \\ ild.
'l'he \ulrkxhop haxn‘t altogether cured in} fear oi xpiderx. 'l'here ma} xtill be xome xereaming il' l lind one in in) bed. But armed with in} next xpider poking \liek’ l lieel eonlident enough to ixxlle it into a eup and get it the hell out oi in} room. And. l’or no“. that'x enough to help me xleep at night.
Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World, at Dobbies Garden World, Lasswade, Midlothian, 0131 663 4932. Spider-handling classes start at 1.30pm and cost £7.70; the next classes are Thu 29 Nov, Wed 12 Dec and Mon 17 Dec.
a.’.‘«. ' THE LIST 23